Charity That Changes Society

Article excerpt

For all the good it does, the answer is that traditional
philanthropy, unfortunately, reinforces what is instead of working
toward what could be.

Of that $175 billion in American philanthropy last year, only 13
percent of it went directly to public benefit and human-services
programs. And only 2 to 4 percent of money given away went to
support social-change efforts.

The lion's share went to churches, the arts, elite private
colleges and universities, and hospitals.

And even when money was given to support services, such as soup
kitchens and homeless shelters, the root causes remained unchanged.

Too often, charity goes to the immediate relief of symptoms of
social and economic problems. This is why charitable efforts often
fail to achieve lasting solutions. And even if all charitable giving
doubled, it still wouldn't meet the immediate demand for basic needs
such as food, clothing, and shelter in the US.

We are all distressed to see people homeless in the streets. Our
impulse may be to thrust a dollar bill into the hand of a homeless
person, or after we get home, to send a check to a local shelter.

But there is a growing movement of people who believe that while
charity may be a good thing, change is better. They ask: Why are
people homeless?

These people give to organizations working to create affordable
housing, or to groups organizing for a living wage so people can
afford the housing that is available.

They give money to promote social change.

But what exactly is social change?

In numerous ways, we have all benefited from social change.

Did you have an enjoyable weekend? Thank the labor movement, the
folks who brought us the eight-hour day and the weekend.

Have you voted recently? Thank the women's suffrage and African-
American civil rights movements for opening up our democracy to all
citizens.

Happy that your salad is free of DDT? Thank the United Farm
Workers, whose union contract specified DDT's original ban.

Not only have we benefited in these direct ways, but social
change movements have shifted the public discourse and public
awareness of many critical concerns. For example:

Twenty years ago, most domestic violence was hidden away and
treated as a private concern. Today it is a recognized crime. While
women are still battered, the need for battered women's shelters and
services is now a given.

Twenty years ago Love Canal and hazardous waste, Three Mile
Island and nuclear power became household words. By the end of the
1980s hazardous-waste policy was moving away from the traditional
format of pollution control to pollution prevention.

Today, consumers ask GAP and Starbucks for explanations of how
they treat the workers who make their jeans and harvest the coffee
beans, signifying a profound shift in Americans' understanding of
global human rights. …